Why does any of this matter?

Nobody likes masks. I don't like masks.

There are two strategies:

a) do the absolute minimum, and only take action after physical proof of harm. This has been advocated by a number of elected officials in the US. In Europe, the minority political parties have suggested this also.

b) do many things, that may or may not have an effect, but which are feasible and do not prevent work or other activities from proceeding. This describes masks. There is a potential gain in preventing infection, and a potential waste in useless actions and waste in mask disposal.

It is really hard to make comparisons across nations and cultures. In America, people mostly travel in their private car. Many people work in small offices with a small number of daily contacts (think insurance salesman). On the other hand, America is very heavily invested in forced air heating and cooling, which circulates infection in the indoor air. In Europe, many, many people travel in public transport. They are more likely to shop in crowded urban shopping centers. So masks probably have a greater impact in Europe than in the US. But, nobody here has forced air HVAC. We open windows even in winter to control humidity.

This is like discussing boiler water treatment. We know what the controlled science is, but there are so many local and independent factors, that it is hard to predict all results. But if you have an active infection, and people are getting sick, or you expect that they will get sick, why not just implement restrictions "just in case"?

I think the biggest success in infection control here has been home isolation. I have not been working with students or colleagues physically since mid-December. Before that, I was only working physically because I was part of a select priority group. I am going nuts. I have been alone (except my family) at home for seven months now. My entire job has been sitting at my home desk in front of a camera. But, we have success. From monday, we can stop using masks, except for public transport. But we are still keeping limits - for example night clubs and dance clubs can not open until September, and then only with admission with vaccination or COVID test.

Does someone riding in an open car on the Durango and Silverton need a mask? I have a hard time defending that. The rules were designed for a closed vehicle with HVAC. But we can make the same arguments for boilers, "But my lap seam boiler is made with quality materials and we are only going to 80 psi!" There are always inefficiencies and injustices in fixed rules for broad application.

A June 10, 2021 article in the Wall Street Journal:

Link to article: Covid-19 Deaths This Year Have Already Eclipsed 2020’s Toll

I agree with the above post.

Furthermore I believe the statistics for India are hopelessly understated. It seems that country doesn't have the ability to track any life or death statistics for large numbers of the population.

Most countries will eventually be able to get close by using excess death statistics. Perhaps India will be able to guess how much more firewood was used for cremation services.

Why do you conclude that?

From reading stories in foreign papers, such as The Times of India, BBC, etc., and also social media. The Dr. John Campbell YouTube channel has a lot of information.

One has to think about what one is reading instead of just bobbleheading like so many folks do in the USA.

Brian

Don’t forget about China either. Their number of cases and deaths isn’t accurate.

What I am asking is the reason why it seems that India does not have the ability to track life/death statistics. I would not expect India to have such a problem. I know that it was quite a hot button issue when India was reporting as running far behind the death toll that some expected. Some of the news was highly skeptical that it could be possible. A commonly reported explanation was that India has a disproportionately large number of young people.

It is complicated. It's almost like there's two different countries existing in the same place at the same time.

If look at the official graph of Covid-19 rates you can see they dodged the first wave, but the second wave was massive - tidal wave overwhelming massive. Last time I looked they were down ~ 75% from the second wave peak - officially. They were also upping the older statistics.

I have a friend who is an executive in a business that employees about 2500 people in India. Two weeks ago (haven't talked to him since), he said for the previous week, they had been getting lists with 2-5 names of employees who had passed away the prior day. If asked if the deaths were being under reported, he said yes, and that it would be much worse in the rural parts of the country once it migrated there since people go home on weekends or a week or so at a time after working in the city.

I also work for a Federal science agency who has a Captain from the US (Uniformed) Public Heath Service assigned to it. He gave a very interesting COVID update a couple of weeks ago. My primary, some what eye opening, take away that hadn't seen elsewhere, or at least stated in this manner was:

* The three major vaccines basically protect you 100% from death from COVID;
* Depending on the vaccine and other factors, you have between 10-30% chance of catching COVID once you have been fully vaxed.

Where I live, about 50% of adults have been fully vaxed. In my state, 70% have been. I'm fully vax'ed. I make the personal choice to usually wear a max when inside around other people. Depending on the setting and my comfort level, I will sometimes remove the mask.

My Federal agency employer is very conservative, so we are still working from home, not traveling, etc because leadership is very risk adverse. I suspect the FAA/FRA and other Fed agencies will be similarly risk adverse for quite sometime. My own Federal agency has shelled out about $30m in rent since March 2020 for building space that has been 99% empty. I hope this waste doesn't continue much longer.

Bob

Some changes coming from the CDC - at least for outdoors:

See this: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nc ... ation.html

Our museum received new "guidance" from the TSA today... Masks not required on outside platforms or open cars... still required in enclosed cars.

For reference to Randy’s post, here is the link to the FRA June 10 statement: https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/2021-06/Statement%20of%20FRA%20Enforcement%20Discretion_EO32_6.10.21.pdf

Randy's post mentions TSA "guidance", but Eric's reply is an FRA statement. Randy, did you receive a document from TSA that is a broadcast or a limited-distribution email?

I haven’t found a statement on the TSA website yet. That was the first place I looked since it seems they were the initial bus driver. Turns out the FRA was quicker in releasing the statement on the web.

My reading is the Order is still in place. The FRA statement only:.
Interpretations will vary..............mld